What I hope to gain from my Kenan Fellowship experience is to grow into my mission to make the educational system work for all students. In particular, I want to bring the real world into the classroom, so that students use their days to meaningfully contribute to their communities and beyond. I hope to reconcile my struggle between standards/testing and inquiry/project/problem-based learning. Students should be able to graduate confident and prepared for adult life, and I am confident that this will happen not through test prep but through real projects.
My internship at Biltmore Farms, focused on sustainable development (residential, hospitality and retail), is a great match for me, because there is a large development project close to our school and student homes. From the internship, I hope to learn about and then propose sustainable development topics for project-based learning, for example, zoning, resource use, LEED-certified development, community involvement, etc. My hope is that students will be able to positively influence the future of our community.
I look forward to listening to the experiences and insights of the other passionate Kenan Fellows. The focus on equity and environmental issues is heart-warming. Already, I feel increased confidence in myself as a teacher-leader.
